Not every shindig ya throw has to be the party of the
season. With a few tricks up your sleeve, you can turn any ordinary afternoon
(a.m. or evening) into an affair to remember. Here’s how to rock it out,
anytime.

Be responsible

Sure, you can toss ideas around with your buds. But always
get your parents’ OK before you start callin’ your crew. Be smart about the day
you pick. If Mom and Dad are having company over or you just got back from
vacation, it might be too much to pile a mini-party on top of the crazy.

Stock a party kit

Grab a sturdy shopping bag or an empty plastic container and
start collecting odds and ends that could be used for decorating your party
space. Cardboard for signs, crayons and craft supplies, streamers,
balloons—throw ‘em in and take a look when it’s time to deck the halls.

Pick a theme

It’s super easy to get your gals excited about anything that
has a theme. ABC Family is showing Harry Potter movies again? Wizarding World
of HP marathon! Pirate Day? Grab an eye patch and come on over!

Get movin’

Love your buds though they do, M&D might not be cool
with ya having them over 24/7. Instead of getting angry, get inventive. Take
your crew to a local park for a field day, another chica’s backyard for a dance
party, a clearing in the woods for a picnic, a nearby ice cream parlor—anything
goes.

Dig deep

If you’re the only one hosting, your insta-parties might put
the crunch on your piggy banks. Pad it by asking each chica to donate a dollar
or two to your party fund, with the expectation that that’s where your pizza
pie or sodas are comin’ from. Don’t forget to say thanks!

Punch up your
playlists

The experts agree: Music is the make-it-or-break-it party
element. If you’ve got a library full of tunes but no groove-worthy playlists,
spend an afternoon categorizing your catchies songs. You’ll want one you can
dance to, one that’s themed for BTS and Halloween, maybe one that’s loaded with
awesome Brit bands or girl-power tunes.

Be all-inclusive

Just because it’s last minute doesn’t mean you’ve got an
excuse to leave anyone out. You might not be besties with the benchwarmer on
your soccer team, but we’re thinking she’d be hurt if she heard about your
soiree when she didn’t receive an invite. Even if you know they can’t attend
(or probably won’t), invite ‘em anyway. The more the merrier!

Memories! A song can totally take me back to a specific moment in time.Hard work. I'm in the band at school, so I have to keep my skills sharp. Chilling. I pop my headphones in and all my stress melts away. Getting pumped. The right music really gets me ready for a big game.